Apparatus on a double twist spindle frame for supplying the spindles with bobbins and for carrying away the empty yarn carriers

ABSTRACT

A textile machine comprising a plurality of spindles is provided with a track above the spindles, into which track there is insertable and removable a chain carrying means to hold yarn packages or yarn package supports whereby the spindles may be provided with fresh yarn packages and the yarn supports of the exhausted packages may be removed. Moreover, removal of the exhausted yarn supports from the spindles and supplying of the fresh yarn packages can be accomplished automatically by providing the chain with expanding mandrels to grip the yarn packages or yarn package supports when not positioned to service the spindles and to be freely retractable from or insertable into the yarn package or yarn package supports when positioned to service the spindles.

United States Patent APPARATUS ON A DOUBLE TWIST SPINDLE FRAME I'URSUPPLYING THE SPINDLES WITH ROBBINS AND FOR CARRYING AWAY THE EMPTY YARNCARRIERS 15 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl. 1. 57/53, 57/54 lnt.C| .1 D0lh9/l8, DOlh 9/04 Field of Search57/34,

Primary Examiner-- Donald E Watkins Attorney-None and Nolte ABSTRACT: Atextile machine comprising a plurality of spin dles is provided with atrack above the spindles, into which track there is insertable andremovable a chain carrying means to hold yarn packages or yarn packagesupports whereby the spindles may be provided with fresh yarn packagesand the yarn supports of the exhausted packages may be removed. Moreoverremoval of the exhausted yarn supports from the spindles and supplyingof the fresh yarn packages can be accomplished automatically byproviding the chain with expanding mandrels to grip the yarn packages oryarn package supports when not positioned to service the spindles and tobe freely retractable from or insertable into the yarn package or yarnpackage supports when positioned to service the spindles.

PATENTED AUG! 1 um SHEEI 1 or 4 l/Y/E/YTORS KLAUS NIMTZ GUSTAV FR ANZENATTORNEYS PATENTED M181 7 l9?! SHEU 3 [IF 4 'h/rsflons KLAUS NIMTZGUSTAV FRANZEN PATENTEUAUBI'IIQ?! Q 3,599,413

l/VEMI BS KLAUS NIMTZ GUSTAV FRANZEN ATTORNEYS APPARATUS ON A DOUBLETWIST SPINDLE FRAME FOR SUPPLYING THE SPINDLES WITH ROBBINS AND FORCARRYING AWAY THE EMPTY YARN CARRIERS 5 This invention relates toapparatus in textile machines comprising a plurality of spindles.

More particularly, this invention relates to an apparatus on a doubletwist spindle frame for supplying the spindles with bobbins and forcarrying away the empty yarn carriers by means of a chain provided withbobbing receivers in the same spaced arrangement as the spindles, whichis guided on a chain guiding rail extending above the spindles.

Apparatuses of this kind are the subject of, for example, US. Pat. No.3,429,l l3 and of applicant s application Ser. No. 825,300, filed andnow US. Pat. No. 3,534,539 These apparatuses are' addressed to theproblem of making arrangements on a double twist spindle frame to permitthe bobbins to be carried to the spindles from one end of the machine aswell as to permit the empty yarn carriers to be carried away at the sameend of the machine, so that no manual work is needed in order todistribute the individual bobbins to the individual spindles. Instead,the bobbins are brought from one end of the machine into the workingarea of the individual spindles by means of a circulating endless chain,so that the bobbins'merely need to be placed on the spindles by theoperator. The same endless chain can be used to bring the winding tubesto the spindles and to bring the empty tubes back to the one end of themachine. In addition to facilitating operation, these arrangementspermit the serving aisles between the individual machines to be keptvery narrow, since it is no longer necessary to carry bobbins and tubesalong the machine in vehicles. The reduction of the aisle width resultsin an appreciable saving ofworking space.

It is a principal object of the invention to set out from the basic ideaof the aforementioned arrangements and to modify and improve thosearrangements in such a manner that it will no longer be necessary toserve the bobbing receivers on the chain with bobbins directly at thedouble twist spindle frame. The operator is relieved of this work. Inaddition placing of the bobbins on the spindles and the removal of theempty tubes from the spindles can be performed automatically, so thatthe bobbins and tubes no longer have to be grasped and moved by theperson operating the machine.

In the apparatus of the invention a chain guiding rail, into which thechain can be inserted from one end of the machine and can be taken outin the same direction or the opposite direction, extends in a straightline above each row of spindles, and the bobbin receivers on the chainare in the form of mandrels over which the top ends of the bobbins andtubes can be placed.

In this manner, the receiving mandrels on the chain can be mounted withbobbins away from the machine, at a central station where all the chainsare prepared, if one so desires, and the chain'thus prepared can bebrought to the one end of the machine and inserted into the chainguiding rail, so that all of the bobbins will be brought automaticallyinto the ready position above the spindles onto which they are to beplaced. After the bobbins have been removed from the mandrels, the emptytubes can be taken from the spindles and placed on the mandrels. Thechain carrying the empty tubes can then be carried away from the machineand the empty tubes replaced with full bobbins at the preparationstation.

The chain guiding rail in conjunction with the insertable chain makespossible simplification of the mounting of the full bobbins on thespindles and automation of that mounting by means of further measures.

Provision can be made according to the invention for the chain guidingrail to be disposed pivotingly between two end positions about an axisextending parallel to the rail, and for downwards. Owing to the pivotingof the chain guiding rail from the aforementioned first position to theaforementioned second position, the bobbins need only a downwardmovement to place them on the spindles.

The placing of the bobbins on the spindles can be made performable in acompletely automatic manner due to the fact that, according to theinvention, the expanding mandrels on the chain consists of a mandrel andretractable dog which can be pivoted back into the mandrel against theforce of a spring and which is provided with an operating arm extendingoutward. By the pivoting of the dog back into the mandrel the mandrelreleases the full bobbin it is carrying so that the bobbin automaticallydrops down onto the spindle.

According to a further aspect of the invention, for the automaticoperation of the arm'that operates the expanding mandrel, provision canbe made for a stop rail extending beneath the chain guiding rail andparallel thereto, against which the expanding mandrel operating armcomes to rest when the expanding mandrel is directed downward, thusretracting the dog into the mandrel; this releases the full bobbin whichhas been held on the mandrel by the grip of the dog, and the bobbin canslide downward onto the spindle.

For reasons concerning space it may be expedient according to theinvention for the stop rail to be displaceable horizontally from aposition of rest to the position associated with the operating arm ofthe retractable dog when the expanding mandrel is directed downward.

The feature last mentioned can also be used when provision is madeaccording to the invention for the chain guiding rail and the stop railto be commonly displaceable vertically. This makes it possible for theexpanding mandrels to be brought first from the traveling position intothe delivery position, and then to be lowered towards the spindles tosuch an extent that the bobbin is seated on the spindle, so that therelease of the 4 mandrel from the bobbin takes place only when thisposition is reached. Then the expanding mandrel is drawn out of thebobbin by the elevation of the chain guiding rail together with the stoprail.

It may be expedient for the pivoting movement of the chain guiding railto be performed, not on a circular arc, but on a trajectory differingtherefrom, which can also include a lowering movement of the chainguiding rail, in order thus to make it possible for the full bobbin notto be released from the expanding mandrel until it is in its workingposition on the spindle. An inverse course is required for the liftingof the empty tubes from the spindle and their removal from the reach ofthe spindles so that they can be taken out of the machine by means ofthe chain. In order to make these movements possible, provision can bemade according to the invention for the chain guiding rail to be borneby four-point linkages which can pivot in common perpendicularly to thelongitudinal axis of the machine, and by whose pivoting the chainguiding rail can be pivoted from the first, i.e. chain insertion, endposition to the position in which the expanding mandrels on the chainare pointed downward over the spindles and in axial alignment with thespindles.

In detail, according to the invention, the four-point linkage member canbe articulated to a slide that is mounted so as to be verticallydisplaceable on the machine frame, can bear the chain guiding rail on aportion extending beyond the second joint, and can be connected by twoadditional members to a rocking shaft which is stationarily mountedparallel to the chain guiding rail and can be rocked back and forth.Thus, in order for the full bobbins to be placed on the spindles, thechain guiding rail pivoting procedure requires that the rocking shaft berocked towards the spindles, thereby swinging the chain guiding railsdown over the top of the spindles, followed by a downward movement ofthe slide, which results in a lowering of the chain guiding rail towardthe spindles, so that the expanding mandrels can place the full bobbinson the spindles; after the mandrels release the bobbins-,=the chainguiding rail is swungback'againp" If the empty tubes are to be removedfrom the spindles, the expanding mandrels are lowered down onto thespindles by means of the chain guiding rail by the pivoting of thelatter; the mandrel grip the empty tubes and are then pulled away fromthe spindles by the pivoting of the chain guiding rail in the oppositedirection. The empty tubes can then be removed from the machine bytaking the chain out of the chain guiding rail and then they can becarried away with the chain.

f In the embodiment last mentioned, the operation of the expandingmandrels can be made possible by mounting directly on the chain guidingrail a rotatable shaft which contacts a contact surface on the operatingarm of the dog of the expandling mandrel in each case, so that itsrotation produces a retraction of the dog into the expanding mandrelagainst the action of a spring, and thus releases the tube or the bobbinthat is being held by the dog on the mandrel.

' As already mentioned, the chain guiding rail combined with the chainthat can be inserted from one end of the machine and removed therefrom,creates the possibility of providing the bobbin receivers with bobbinsat a location remote from the machine, especially at a special chainpreparing station. The insertion of the chain can be performedautomatically according to the invention by providing at least at oneinsertion end of the chain guiding rail a sprocket which meshes with thechain and can be driven in either direction, and which, when rotated inone direction pushes the chain into the chain guiding rail, and whenrotated in the other direction pulls it out of the chain guiding rail.

For the insertion and removal of the chain, according to the inventionat least one additional chain guiding rail opening tangentially to thesprocket can be placed in front of the chain guiding rail and candeliver the chain equipped with bobbins into the chain guiding rail onthe machine and can receive the chain carrying the empty tubes. Thisadditional chain guiding rail can be disposed in a stationary manner andcan extend all the way to the chain preparing station and the chain canbe transported in the additional chain guiding rail by means of drivensprockets and can be brought to the machine itself from the chainpreparing station by means of the additional chain guiding rail.

Another feature of the invention is that a chain switch can be placedahead of the sprocket and can serve to connect the chain guiding rail ofthe machine alternately with one or two additional guiding rails alignedwith the sprocket in different directions. In this manner a plurality ofchain guiding rails can in the ready position to deliver chains of freshbobbins and rficeive the chain emerging from the machine and bearingempty tubes to be carried away. The chain switch system permits eitherof the chain guiding rails to be brought into transfer alignment withthe chain guiding rail on the machine.

In another aspect of the invention, provision can be made for at leastone additional chain guiding rail to extend longitudinally through themachine underneath the spindle area, the chain of this guiding railbeing capable of insertion into the machine and removal from the machineby means of a driven sprocket, a perpendicular connecting rail, and thedriven sprocket at the insertion end of the chain guiding rail on themachine. In this manner use is made of the generally free space that isavailable below the spindles to accommodate at least one chain that isequipped with full bobbins and which can be inserted directly into thechain guiding rail on the machine after the chain carrying the emptytubes has been passed into another chain guiding rail placed in front ofthe machine.

According to another feature of the invention, a chain guiding rail thatcan be placed in front of the chain guiding rail on the machine canbecurved in a spirallike manner in a vertical plane and arranged on atransport car, so that a chain equipped with full bobbins can be broughtto the machine on this transport car. Conversely, the transport car canserve to ge a ,chaipmyhiqmhasheen.ejectedsfrom;thezchaini guiding a railorithe machine for the remoyamfemptg yarrucarriers Instead of this, orin addition thereto, provision can be made according to yet a furtherfeature of the invention for a stationary chain guiding rail to beplaced in front of the chain guiding rail of the machine, whichstationary rail will guide the chain down from overhead onto the drivensprocket at the insertion end of the chain guiding rail on the machine.A stationary chain guiding rail of this kind can extend all the way to achain preparing station, thus eliminating the need for transportvehicles for the transport of the chains.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings,in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial section through a double twist spindle frame with apivoting chain guiding rail with chain;

FIG. 2 is a section on a larger scale through the guiding rail and thechain with bobbin receivers according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial section through a double twist spindle frame havinga pivoting chain guiding rail of a different construction, in severalpositions;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the insertion end of a double twistspindle frame with chain switches and a chain transport car placedbefore it; and

FIG. 5 shows the chain switch of FIG. 4 in another position.

In a double twist spindle frame according to the invention, spindles 2are mounted in a longitudinally extending spindle beam 5 supported bythe machine frame 1, and are driven by a tangential drive belt 3, whichbears against a whorl 4 in each case. Each spindle 2 has a threadstorage disk 7 and a bobbin pot 6. A thread guide 8 is disposed axiallyabove each spindle 2. A lead roll 9, a friction roll 12, a traversingthread guide 10, a bobbin frame I] and a takeup spool 13 constituteparts of the takeup system associated with each spindle.

A chain guiding rail 14 extends along the side of each machine, into orfrom which rail a chain 15 can be inserted and or removed from one endof the machine, as will be described subsequently in connection withFIG. 4. The chain 15 carries bobbin receivers in the form of expandingmandrels 18, in the same spaced arrangement as the spindles. This can beseen especially in FIG. 2. The top ends of the bobbins can be placedover the mandrels, where they are held releasably by a dog 24 (FIG. 2).

The chain guiding rail 14 runs from one end of the double twist spindleframe to the other, and as shown in FIG. 1, it is disposed so as to bepivotable parallel to its longitudinal axis about the shaft 19; in theone end position of the chain guiding rail 14, represented in solidlines, the chain 15 bearing fresh bobbins 17 can be inserted into thechain guiding rail 14, and in the second pivoted end positionrepresented in phantom at from the first end position the expandingmandrels 18 with the full bobbins 17 are perpendicularly disposed abovethe spindles 2 in axial alignment therewith.

According to the embodiment of FIG. 1, the chain guiding rail 14 isdisposed at the free end of a horizontally disposed arm of a railsupport 20, which rail support can be moved up and down on the machineframe 1 by means of a rack-andpinion assembly 21 associated with itsvertical arm, the lower portion of the vertical arm comprising the rack20a of the rack-and-pinion assembly 21. In this manner provision is madefor the full bobbins to be lowered with rail support 20 and forced ontothe spindle 2.

As can be seen in detail in FIG. 2, the expanding mandrel 18 on chain 15comprises a shaft 16 equipped with a dog 24 which pivots at point 22 inthe shaft 16 so as to be retractable into the shaft 16 against the forceof a spring 23, and which has an outwardly extending operating arm 25.When the chain guiding rail 14 swings into the position represented inphantom and the button 26 of operating arm 25 comes into contact withthe stop rail 27, which is also visible in FIG. 1 and extends underneaththe chain guiding rail 14 along all of the spindles of the machine, theoperating arm 24 pivots against the force of spring 23 into the shaft16, so that the full bobbin 17 is swings from the horizontal into thevertical position because the stop rail has been backed off. The stoprail 27 is displaced downwardly together with the rail support 20parallel to the spindle axis, and not until the chain guiding rail 14has been lowered to the spindle serving position is it advanced to theoperating arm of dog 24 so as to release the hold which the latter hason the bobbin 17*. The displacement of the rail 27 is performed by meansof a push rod 28, which is held in a horizontally displaceable manner onthe rail support 20. The push rod 28 is driven by means of a lever 30fastened on a shaft 29 and engaging the free end of the push rod 28.

Accordingly, in order to provide the spindles of a double twist spindleframe with fresh bobbins 17, the following must be done. The operatorremoves the yarn feed tubes with the yarn guides from the hollow shaftsof the spindles and'sets them aside on stationary holders. If desired,these holders are mounted on the machine frame at the level of thespindle beam as indicated in phantom in FIG. 1. A chain 15, which hasbeen provided with fresh bobbins, is inserted from the feed end of themachine that can be seen in FIG. 4, into the chain guiding rail 14 tosuch an extent that a new bobbin is located directly above each spindle.Then, from the head end of the machine, t he yarn guides 8 are movedaway from the position represented in solid lines to the position shownin phantom, so that the'chain guiding rail 14 can be pivoted 90 withoutinterferenceand thus the bobbins 17 can be brought into a positionperpendicularly above the spindles. From the head end of the machine,the rail support 20 together with the chain guiding rail 14 is moveddownward by means of the rack-and-pinion system 21, and in the bottomend position the stop rail 28 acts to release the grip which theexpanding mandrels 18 have on the bobbins 17, and thus all of thespindles on one side of the machine are supplied simultaneously withfresh bobbins. After the chain guiding rail has been pivoted backagain,'the yarn guides 8 are brought back into the working position, theyarn feed tubes are mounted again on the hollow shafts of the spindlesandthe yarns from the bobbins are threaded into the takeup tubes.

In FIG. 3 there is shown an embodiment in which the same thing isachieved as with the one in FIG. 1. In this case the chain guiding rail14 is supported. not directly above the spindles, but in a position setback from the spindle row, on fourpoint linkages 31, which can beoperated from the head of the machine. The four-point linkages 31 eachconsist of an operating arm 32, a connecting rod 33 and a support arm34. The operating arm 32 is affixed at one end to the shaft 35 mountedin the machine frame 1 and can turn therewith. The support arm 34 has atits extremity 65, which extends beyond joint 64, an angle-iron 36 inwhich the chain guiding rail 14 is located, and its other extremity isarticulated to a slide 37. In the starting position the support arm 34rests against a stop 38 on a bracket 39, while in the serving positionof the chain guiding rail 14, which is indicated in phantom, the freeextremity of the support arm 34, extending beyond the articulation onslide 37 comes to rest against the stop 40 of the slide 37.

In addition to the displacement of the chain guiding rail 14 held inangle iron 36 from the starting position to the spindle serving positionby means of the four-point linkage 31, the fresh bobbin 17 is loweredinto the guard pot 6 of the spindle 2 by means of the four-pointlinkage. For this purpose the slide 37 is fastened at one end to a rack41 passing through the bracket 39, and the rack 41 is held so as to bevertically displaceable by the pinion which is not shown and which isdriven by a shaft 42 from the front end of the machine. The lengths ofthe individual members, especially the length of the connecting rod 33,are such that in the final position the shaft of the expanding mandrel18 extends into the spindle shaft.

The bobbin dog 24 in mandrel 18, which is shown in FIG. 3, is similar tothe one in FIG. 2. However, it is made to pivot in the shaft 16 not by astop rail but by a shaft 43 carried on the chain guiding rail and havingan angular groove 44 as a contact surface; this shaft is rotatablecounterclockwise by about 90, which causes the operating arm 25 and thedog 24 to pivot against the force of the spring 23, as in FIG. 2,resulting in the release of the bobbins 17 from the expanding mandrel!18 ofchain 15.

As it was explained above, chain 15 can be inserted into the chainguiding rail 14 and removed therefrom together with the bobbin receiversand the bobbins 1'7 placed thereon, at the rear end, shown in FIG. 4, ofthe double twist spindle-frame. At a chain insertion guide 45 in frontof the chain guiding rail 14 there is disposed a sprocket 46, which canbe driven in either direction, and whose teeth engage the links of thechain 15 that is to be inserted or extracted. When chain 15 has beendriven all the way into the chain guiding rail 14, a device which is notshown in detail lifts the end of 'chain 15 out of engagement with thesprocket 46 into the position indicated in phantom, so that the end ofthe chain can be pivoted together with the chain guiding rail 14 withoutinterference from the sprocket 46.

In order to bring the chain 15 to the chain insertion guide 45 of thechain guidingrail 14, or to carry the chain away, a transport car 47 canbe provided, which carries one or more chain guiding-rails which arebent about in a spirallike fashion in one plane and which serve toreceive chains 15. The outfeed end of the chain guiding rail 48 oftransport car 47 is disposed horizontally and at such a height that theoutfeed end is opposite the chain insertion guide 45 of the chainguiding rail 14 of the double twist spindle frame. in this manner it ispossible without difficulty to push the chain off the transport car 47into the chain insertion guide 45 of chain guiding rail 14, by hand ifdesired, to such an extent that the chain 15 is engaged by the sprocketwheel 46 and is then injected further by the latter into the chainguiding rail 14 of the double twist spindle frame.

Another method of feeding a chain 15 to the double twist spindle frameconsists in installing stationary overhead guide rails in the factory,each rail terminating at the insertion end of a double twist spindleframe and starting, if desired, in a room in which the chains of allmachines on hand are centrally provided with new bobbins. A guiding rail49 with a driven or undriven sprocket 50 are illustrated as a fragmentof this system.

To permit a double twist spindle frame to be supplied with fresh chainsboth by means of the transport car 47 and by means of the overheadguiding rails 49, a switch 52 it provided, which can be seen in FIGS. 4and 5, and which pivot about a pivot pin 51. FIG. 4 shows a first switchposition, which is for the transport car 47, and FIG. 5 shows a secondswitch position for the overhead rails 49. The switch 52 consists of acurved rail section 53 disposed on the perpendicular pivot pin 51; oneend of the rail section 53 is at the height of the chain insertion guide45 and its other end terminates, at right angles to the first end, atthe height of the extremity of the stationary guiding rail 49. In thismanner, in order to couple the curved guiding rail section 53 to thechain guiding rail 49, the curved section 53 need merely be pivoted by90 from the position shown in FIG. 5.

it is also possible tov provide one or more guiding rails beneath thespindle area on the machine for receiving chains,

especially chains equipped with bobbins, for example. In order toreplace the chainthat is in the chain guiding rail above the spindle rowwith one which, for example, has been inserted into rail 54 with freshbobbins, a switch as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is provided also at thefront end of the machine.

The chain insertion guide 45 together with switch 52 must be shiftedupwardly by means of an eccentric 55 into the position indicated inphantom in FIG. 5. To this end, switch 52 together with chain insertionguide 45 is guided vertically in tracks in a bracket 56 fastened to themachine frame 1, and is displaceable therein. When the chain insertionguide 45 is displaced upwardly, the arcuate bottom edge of chaininsertion guide 45 facing the sprocket 46 forms a guiding edge for chain15, which is pushed by means of the sprocket 46 into a downwardlyleading rail 57 and is inserted into the empty guiding rail 54 with theaid of a driven or undriven sprocket 58 and a curved guide 59 serving asa switch. Then the curved haunt: Jill marl .n'utiww s at; {gm-1.19 ti eguide 59 has to be pivoted horizontally by about 90 with the aid of thepivot 60, thereby opening the path for chain 62 with the full bobbins onit, which are not shown, so that the chain 62 can be displaced upwardlyby means of a driven sprocket 63. An additional curved guide at thebottom end of the pivoting means 60, which is not seen in FIG. 4, has tobe pivoted into the plane of the guiding rails 61 and 57 when the curvedguide 59 is pivoted by the pivoting means 60, in a manner similar to theswitch 52, so that rail 61 will then be connected to rail 57 and chain62 can be displaced upwardly.

By means of the apparatus described above, therefore, it is possible toreplace the empty chain situated above the spindle row with a chain thatis situated underneath the spindle row in one of the guiding rails 54 or61 and carries bobbins, so that neither the transport car 47 nor theoverhead rails 49 have to be used for the exchange.

. The bobbin transporting element referred to as a chain" hereinaboveand described as such can also be replaced by a band which, beingappropriately constructed, performs the function of the chain;accordingly, the term chain" is in- V tended to encompass suchequivalent elements.

What we claim is:

'1. In a textile machine comprising a plurality of serially arrangedspaced spindles each adapted to carry a yarn package, the improvementcomprising a guide rail having a longitudinal portion extendingsubstantially parallel to the spindles, a chain having at least one freeend, mounted on said chain in the same spacing as the spindles aplurality of means each for carrying a yarn package or a yarn packagesupport, a free end of the chain being insertable into the guide rail atan end of said portion thereof, the chain thereafter being movable alongthe guide rail to a position at which the carrying means are adjacentthe spindles, and a free end of the chain being removable from the guiderail at an end of said portion of the guide rail and the chainthereafter being movable away from said portion of the guide rail.

2.'A textile machine according to claim 1, in which each of saidcarrying means comprises a mandrel and said portion of the guide rail ispivotably mounted for reversible rotation about an axis parallel to saidportion from a first position to a second position when the chain issupported by the guide rail with the mandrels adjacent the spindles, thefirst position being one in which the mandrels are positionedincipiently to release yarn packages onto the spindles or incipiently togrip yarn package supports on the spindles and the second position beingone in which the mandrels are positioned to carry yarn packages towardthe spindles or to be in rest after having delivered yarn packages tothe spindles or to hold yarn package supports taken from the spindles.

3. A textile machine according to claim 2, in which each of the mandrelsis an expanding mandrel which in its expanded condition can grip andthereby carry the yarn package or yarn package support and in itsnonexpanded condition cannot grip the yarn package or yarn packagesupport.

4. A textile machine according to claim 3, in which each of saidexpanding mandrels comprises a shaft having a recess, a dog pivotallymounted on the shaft, being pivotable into the recess and having anoperating arm, and a spring urging the free end of the dog away from theshaft. the dog thus being adapted to assume a first position in whichthe free end of the in which the free end of the dog is retracted intothe recess and the nonexpanded condition of the mandrel is thus defined.

5. A textile machine according to claim 4, further comprising a stoprail parallel to and longitudinally substantially coextensive with saidportion of the guide rail, said stop rail being so positioned that whenthe mandrels are to release yam packages onto the spindles the stop railengages the operating arm of each of the dogs thereby moving each of thedogs to the position thereof in which the dog is retracted into therecess in the mandrel shaft to define the nonexpanded condition of themandrel and when the mandrels are to grip yarn package supports on thespindles the stop rail disengages from the operating arm of each of thedogs thereby permitting each of the dogs to extend its gripping portionoutwardly from the mandrel shaft to define the expanded condition of themandrel.

6. A textile machine according to claim 5, in which the stop rail isdisplaceable from a rest position substantially horizontally into aposition associated with the operating arms of the dogs when themandrels are positioned to deliver yarn packages to the spindles or toremove the yarn package supports from the spindles.

7. A textile machine according to claim 6, in which the guide rail andthe stop rail are commonly displaceable in height.

8. A textile machine according to claim 2, in which the pivotablemounting of the rail comprises a four-point linkage.

9. A textile machine according to claim 8, in which behind the spindleson the frame of the machine is mounted a substantially verticallydisplaceable slide, articulated to said slide is a first member of saidfour-point linkage, said first member being articulated to a secondmember of the four-point linkage, at the point of articulation of thefirst and second members an extension member fixed to the first memberand extending beyond the point of articulation, said rail being fixed tosaid extension member, a third member of the four-point linkagearticulated at one end to the second member, and stationary butreversibly rotatable a rocker shaft axially parallel to the rail, theother end of the third member being articulated to the rocker shaft.

10. A textile machine according to claim 4, further comprising a shaftdefining a camming surface, said shaft being rotatably mounted on therail, said shaft being so positioned relative to the operating arms ofthe dogs that when the mandrels are to release yarn packages onto thespindles the camming surface engages the operating arms and moves thedogs to the position thereof in which each dog is retracted into therecess in the shaft of its mandrel to define the nonexpanded conditionof the mandrel and when the mandrels are to grip yarn package supportson the spindles the camming surface permits the dog to extend itsgripping portion outwardly from the mandrel shaft to define the expandedcondition of the mandrel.

11. A textile machine according to claim 1, further comprising at aninsertion end said portion of the guide rail a sprocket for engagementwith the chain and means for reversibly driving the sprocket.

12. A textile machine according to claim 11, further comprising anadditional guide rail adapted to carry said chain and having aninsertion end, said guide rail being positionable in tangentialalignment with said sprocket whereby the chain can be transferredbetween the two guide rails.

13. A textile machine according to claim 12, further comprising at leasta second additional guide rail, and a chain switch interposed betweenthe first mentioned guide rail and the additional guide rails, saidchain switch being positionable to interconnect operatively any selectedone of the additional guide rails with the first guide rail thereby topermit transfer of the chain between the first guide rail and theselected additional guide rail.

14. A textile machine according to claim ll, further comprising anadditional guide rail adapted to carry said, chain, said additionalguide rail being positioned longitudinally along the machine beneath thespindles, and a vertical intermediate rail operatively interconnectingthe first mentioned guide rail and the additional guide rail whereby thechain can be transferred between the first guide rail and the additionalguide rail.

15. A textile machine according to claim 12, further comprising atransport car and in which said additional guide rail is in theconfiguration of a spiral lying in a vertical plane and is mounted onsaid transport car o an; :zaauao rluiriw

1. In a textile machine comprising a plurality of serially arrangedspaced spindles each adapted to carry a yarn package, the improvementcomprising a guide rail having a longitudinal portion extendingsubstantially parallel to the spindles, a chain having at least one freeend, mounted on said chain in the same spacing as the spindles aplurality of means each for carrying a yarn package or a yarn packagesupport, a free end of the chain being insertable into the guide rail atan end of said portion thereof, the chain thereafter being movable alongthe guide rail to a position at which the carrying means are adjacentthe spindles, and a free end of the chain being removable from the guiderail at an end of said portion of the guide rail and the chainthereafter being movable away from said portion of the guide rail.
 2. Atextile machine according to claim 1, in which each of said carryingmeans comprises a mandrel and said portion of the guide rail ispivotably mounted for reversible rotation about an axis parallel to saidportion from a first position to a second position when the chain issupported by the guide rail with the mandrels adjacent the spindles, thefirst position being one in which the mandrels are positionedincipiently to release yarn packages onto the spindles or incipiently togrip yarn package supports on the spindles and the second position beingone in which the mandrels are positioned to carry yarn packages towardthe spindles or to be in rest after having delivered yarn packages tothe spindles or to hold yarn package supports taken from the spindles.3. A textile machine according to claim 2, in which each of the mandrelsis an expanding mandrel which in its expanded condition can grip andthereby carry the yarn package or yarn package support and in itsnonexpanded condition cannot grip the yarn package or yarn packagesupport.
 4. A textile machine according to claim 3, in which each ofsaid expanding mandrels comprises a shaft having a recess, a dogpivotally mounted on the shaft, being pivotable into the recess andhaving an operating arm, and a spring urging the free end of the dogaway from the shaft, the dog thus being adapted to assume a firstposition in which the free end of the dog is extended outwardly from theshaft and the expanded condition of the mandrel is thus defined and asecond position in which the free end of the dog is retracted into therecess and the nonexpanded condition of the mandrel is thus defined. 5.A textile machine according to claim 4, further comprising a stop railparallel to and longitudinally substantially coextensive with saidportion of the guide rail, said stop rail being so positioned that whenthe mandrels are to release yarn packages onto the spindles the stoprail engages the operating arm of each of the dogs thereby moving eachof the dogs to the position thereof in which the dog is retracted intothe recess in the mandrel shaft to define the nonexpanded condition ofthe mandrel and when the mandrels are to grip yarn package supports onthe spindles the stop rail disengages from the operating arm of each ofthe dogs thereby permitting each of the dogs to extend its grippingportion outwardly from the mandrel shaft to define the expandedcondition of the mandrel.
 6. A textile machine according to claim 5, inwhich the stop rail is displaceable from a rest position substantiallyhorizontally into a position associated with the operating arms of thedogs when the mandrels are positioned to deliver yarn packages to thespindles or to remove the yarn package supports from the spindles.
 7. Atextile machine according to claim 6, in which thE guide rail and thestop rail are commonly displaceable in height.
 8. A textile machineaccording to claim 2, in which the pivotable mounting of the railcomprises a four-point linkage.
 9. A textile machine according to claim8, in which behind the spindles on the frame of the machine is mounted asubstantially vertically displaceable slide, articulated to said slideis a first member of said four-point linkage, said first member beingarticulated to a second member of the four-point linkage, at the pointof articulation of the first and second members an extension memberfixed to the first member and extending beyond the point ofarticulation, said rail being fixed to said extension member, a thirdmember of the four-point linkage articulated at one end to the secondmember, and stationary but reversibly rotatable a rocker shaft axiallyparallel to the rail, the other end of the third member beingarticulated to the rocker shaft.
 10. A textile machine according toclaim 4, further comprising a shaft defining a camming surface, saidshaft being rotatably mounted on the rail, said shaft being sopositioned relative to the operating arms of the dogs that when themandrels are to release yarn packages onto the spindles the cammingsurface engages the operating arms and moves the dogs to the positionthereof in which each dog is retracted into the recess in the shaft ofits mandrel to define the nonexpanded condition of the mandrel and whenthe mandrels are to grip yarn package supports on the spindles thecamming surface permits the dog to extend its gripping portion outwardlyfrom the mandrel shaft to define the expanded condition of the mandrel.11. A textile machine according to claim 1, further comprising at aninsertion end of said portion of the guide rail a sprocket forengagement with the chain and means for reversibly driving the sprocket.12. A textile machine according to claim 11, further comprising anadditional guide rail adapted to carry said chain and having aninsertion end, said guide rail being positionable in tangentialalignment with said sprocket whereby the chain can be transferredbetween the two guide rails.
 13. A textile machine according to claim12, further comprising at least a second additional guide rail, and achain switch interposed between the first mentioned guide rail and theadditional guide rails, said chain switch being positionable tointerconnect operatively any selected one of the additional guide railswith the first guide rail thereby to permit transfer of the chainbetween the first guide rail and the selected additional guide rail. 14.A textile machine according to claim 11, further comprising anadditional guide rail adapted to carry said chain, said additional guiderail being positioned longitudinally along the machine beneath thespindles, and a vertical intermediate rail operatively interconnectingthe first mentioned guide rail and the additional guide rail whereby thechain can be transferred between the first guide rail and the additionalguide rail.
 15. A textile machine according to claim 12, furthercomprising a transport car and in which said additional guide rail is inthe configuration of a spiral lying in a vertical plane and is mountedon said transport car.